Fisheries organizations have demanded that the Tamil Nadu government shall allow the use of short nets for only six months of the year without harming small businesses.
Fisheries organizations Discussions with Minister
Hon'ble Fisheries Minister Jayakumar chaired a meeting at the Chennai General Secretariat to control the use of the short web. The meeting was also attended by fishermen's representatives from Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and Villupuram districts.
Speaking at the meeting, Minister Jayakumar said that the use of short nets has led to occasional clashes between fishermen and law and order problems. The use of such abbreviated nets is banned nationwide and the court has ruled that such nets should not be used. He also asked the government to provide assistance for deep sea fishing as an alternative to the use of these nets as this would affect the livelihoods of fisheries and traditional fishermen.
Further, Minister Jayakumar did not request the fishermen's organization to co-operate with the government so that the fishermen would not act in contempt of court decisions.
Fishermen organization request
Commenting on this, the fisheries representatives said that if the use of these nets is banned immediately, there will be a huge loss and these nets should be allowed and it will take three to five years to switch from this industry to the alternative fishing industry and gradually change to the alternative industry. Until then, they demanded that the nets be allowed to be used for only six months of the year without harming small businesses.
The government has asked fishermen who use shorthands to select and use suitable alternative schemes
- Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsaya Sampatha Yojana (PMMSY), deep-sea fishing boats worth Rs. 120 lakhs will be built with a subsidy of Rs. 48 lakhs and 40 per cent.
- Under the state government scheme, deep-sea fishing boats worth Rs. 60 lakhs will be built at a subsidy of Rs. 30 lakhs and 50 per cent.
- 70 lakh with a subsidy of Rs. 4.70 lakh and 40 per cent subsidy for fibreglass boats, machinery, nets and iceboxes.
